Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour FireKeepers Casino
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Mid-States Poker Tour FireKeepers Casino
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$397,170
Entries
411
Level
28
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
1,000
Hammett Leads Advancing 18 Players; Lamphere Makes Another Day 2
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Season 5 of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) continued on Thursday with Day 1a action from FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan. This marked the third time the MSPT has visited the property – and the state of Michigan for that matter – and it got off to a good start as 106 entrants took part in the opening flight (up from 81 and 87 the last two times the MSPT was in town).
While plenty of players showed up, just 18 would remain after 14 levels of play with Scott Hammnett and his stack of 212,500 leading the way. Also still in contention is Adam Lamphere, who finished runner-up at both of the MSPT’s previous stops at FireKeepers.
Hammett nursed a short stack early in the day, but he came on strong late in the evening due in no small part to a monster three-way all-in pot in Level 13 (1,000/2,000/300). It began when Hammett opened to 7,000 from the cutoff, the button flatted and the big blind pushed all in for around 26,000. That prompted Hammett to announce he was also all in for 110,500 total. The player on the button was covered, but not by much and he took some time to think about it. After some thought, he made the call.
"I have kings," Hammett said, as the button player sheepishly turned over queens and the big blind showed 
. The flop was 
and Hammett was looking good with the 
. The 
on the turn provided a wheel sweat, but the 
on the river propelled Hammett to the chip lead.
As for Lamphere, he got a good deal of his chips in Level 8 (300/600/75) when he eliminated 2012 World Series of Poker Event #5 $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em champ Nick Jivkov. It happened when Jivkov raised the cutoff and action folded to Lamphere in the big blind. He looked down at 
, popped it to 4,000, and Jivkov proceeded to four-bet jam for around 25,000. Lamphere called and Jivkov was behind with 
suited. Despite drawing to two live cards, Jivkov failed to crack Big Slick and was eliminated from the Day 1a flight, though he did say he’d be back on Day 1b. Lamphere finished the night with 45,500.
Others who hit the rail on Day 1a were Ashlee McGee, Steve Bahls, Bruce “The Hammer” Swart, Gary Matthews, Heather Schuchaskie, Dusty Feller, and Jay VanStee. It was a particularly brutal exit late in the evening for VanStee after first getting his Big Slick cracked by 
, and then busting a short time later when he shoved holding the 
only to run into the 
of Alex Barill.
While many fell, some managed to advance to Day 2 including Taylor Tollefson (210,500), Jake Jarous (181,000), Steve Anderson (156,500), Steve Viant (97,500), Jake Baumgartner (93,500), and Eugene Truxall (37,500).
Day 1b is set to kick off at Noon local time (Day 1c will take place at the same time on Saturday). Of course the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to bring you all the action and eliminations, so be sure to check back then. In the meantime, check out this PokerNews Impromptu with MSPT owner and operator Bryan Mileski, who talks about FireKeepers and the tour’s immense success in Season 5.
For more on the MSPT stop at FireKeepers, visit MSPTpoker.com.
End of Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
![[user269680]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
212,500 | -27,500 |
|
210,500 | 60,500 |
|
|
181,000 | 36,000 |
|
163,000 | 58,000 |
|
161,500 | 31,500 |
|
156,500 | -83,500 |
|
137,000 | 32,000 |
|
132,500 | 132,500 |
|
116,500 | |
|
97,500 | 15,500 |
|
|
97,500 | -28,500 |
|
93,500 | -11,500 |
|
|
89,500 | 89,500 |
|
|
68,500 | 12,500 |
|
60,000 | -28,000 |
|
|
60,000 | 60,000 |
|
45,500 | -36,500 |
|
37,500 | 37,500 |
Reigning MSPT POY Falls in Penultimate Hand of the Night
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
In the second-to-last hand of the night, action folded to Jim Petzing in the small blind and he shoved all in. MSPT Season 4 Player of the Year Patrick Steele, who has finished in fourth place the last two time the tour's rolled into town, called off from the big blind and was in great shape to double.
Steele: 
Petzing: 
Steele was looking to dodge an ace, but that proved easier said than done as the flop came down ace high. Steele was unable to find a third eight, and his night came to an end just shy of Day 2.
"I knew he was shoving super light," Steele explained. It was a disappointing end for Steele, who began Level 14 with a decent stack of around 110,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Last Remaining MSPT Champ is Out
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Steve Virant limped from under-the-gun and the button also called. TJ Ryan pushed all in from the small blind, the big blind folded and Virant quickly called and the button also folded. Virant had and Ryan turned over 
. The board ran out clean and the former MSPT champ has busted.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
126,000 | 11,000 |
Three More Hands
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
The tournament officials have just drawn for the number of hands they'll play at each of the remaining two tables. Tonight they'll play three more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. We're headed out to catch any last-minute action and to compile some chip counts.
Stay tuned for those as well as a full recap of the Day 1a action.
Steve Burns Eliminates Tyler Caspers
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Steve Burns min-raised from the hijack and Tyler Caspers shoved all in over the top from the small blind for 71,000 total. Burns tanked for a bit and eventually made the call with 
, Caspers tabled .
The board ran out 
and Burns spiked his queen on the river to knock out Caspers, who took third at the MSPT Running Aces at the start of the season.
Quack, Quack, Quack
Level 14
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Just before the level went up, Taylor Tollefson opened for 4,300 under the gun and picked up a caller in middle position. When action reached Jake Jarous in the small blind, he three-bet to 15,000, Jake Baumgartner flatted from the big, and the other two players came along to make it four-way action to the 
flop.
Jarous checked, Baumgartner bet 20,000, and Tollefson moved all in for around 40,000. Two folds put action on Baumgartner, and he made a reluctant call.
"Alright, I'll try to get there," he said before dropping in the chips.
Baumgartner:
Tollefson: 
Tollefson flopped a set, and he secured the double when the 
appeared on the turn. The meaningless 
was put out on the river, and Baumgartner sent a good portion of his stack to Tollefson.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000 | 150,000 |
|
|
105,000 | 25,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Three-Way All In Preflop Leads to a Big One
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
Scott Hammett opened to 7,000 from the cutoff, the button flatted and the big blind pushed all in for around 26,000. That prompted Hammett to announce he was also all in for 110,500 total. The player on the button was covered, but not by much and he took some time to think about it. After some thought, he made the call.
"I have kings," Hammett said, as the button player sheepishly turned over queens and the big blind showed . The flop was and Hammett was looking good with the . The on the turn provided a wheel sweat, but the on the river propelled Hammett to at or near the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
240,000 | 217,000 |